On April 16, the Only YOU Boutique Hotel Madrid hosted the presentation of the new features of interihotel, the leading hotel and restaurant design event, during a press conference attended by Joaquim Solana (Cluster Manager at AMBIT), Toni Zaragoza (Director of interihotel), and Pepa Casado d’Amato (Head of Creative Direction), who shared the details of this edition with accredited media. The 2026 edition will highlight design as a disruptive and differentiating element in the evolution of the hospitality sector.

Europe’s leading hospitality design event

Now in its sixteenth edition, interihotel is the only international event in Spain aimed at professionals in hotel and restaurant design. Organized by AMBIT Living Spaces Cluster, it is the most important hospitality design event in Europe, bringing together hotel companies, restaurant groups, real estate investors, and interior design and architecture studios specialized in hospitality. Its value proposition, rooted in design, is what makes it unique: it combines an international event with 14,000 professionals, a congress featuring more than 240 speakers, and multiple spaces dedicated to innovation and trends, including talks, Concept Rooms, and idea labs, as well as awards and business opportunities through national and international B2B meetings.

interihotel is a key event for the hospitality sector, with design embedded in its DNA as a tool to challenge the status quo, rethink how we live, and explore new visions of what hospitality can become. In the words of its director, Toni Zaragoza: “We have a leading event because the sector deserves it [...] We deserve it because Spain leads international tourism worldwide [...] Tourism contributes 12.6% to national GDP, over €200 billion.” He also took the opportunity to thank sponsors, participants, collaborating entities, accredited media, and media partners.

The presentation also featured Sergi Latorre (Project Manager Spain & Portugal at Roca, Global Sponsor), Ana María Rangel (Specification Manager at Niessen, Main Sponsor), Ildefonso Lecea (Marketing Manager at Tarkett, Party Sponsor), and Carolina del Olmo (Country IKEA for Business Manager at IKEA, Theme Sponsor), who highlighted the value of sponsoring the event for the third consecutive year.

Creative rebellion: challenge the expected

Creative Director Pepa Casado unveiled the concept of this edition: “Creative Rebellion”, an idea that embraces optimism as a form of rebellion. In the hospitality field, this means questioning the status quo, challenging expectations, and imagining new ways of designing and experiencing spaces. Because nothing truly meaningful happens within the limits of convention—it only begins when we dare to think differently.

“Creative Rebellion” is not about rebelling for the sake of it. It is about choosing a different direction, guided by intention, curiosity, and the desire to go beyond established forms. From repetition to intention, from standardization to identity, design becomes a transformative tool—one that opens new possibilities, redefines narratives, and creates spaces that connect on a deeper, more human level.

This edition will focus on three key themes that reflect how hospitality is designed, experienced, and imagined today:

  • November 17: The Inside Rebellion - The rebellion begins within: in spaces that disrupt routine, challenge conventions, and turn a stay into something more. At interihotel, interior design is seen as a force capable of subverting codes and proposing new ways of inhabiting hospitality, creating spaces that build identity and resonate on deeper levels..
  • November 18: The Green Rebellion - Sustainability can no longer operate from the margins. It requires a shift in mindset: from minimizing impact to rethinking the entire system. In hospitality, this means questioning materials, processes, and priorities to imagine a more conscious and transformative way of designing—where responsibility drives creativity.
  • November 19: The Future Rebellion - The future is not something we wait for—it is something we design. At interihotel, ideas go beyond incremental change to explore new ways of understanding how we travel, live, and experience spaces. The true potential of design lies in imagining what does not yet exist—and making it possible.

First confirmed names

Seven months ahead of the event, interihotel MAD26 has already confirmed the participation of leading studios, speakers, and hotel brands such as We Are Ona, El Departamento, Rockwell, Axel Hotels, Dani García, Bar Studio, Beaumier Hotels, Room Mate Hotels, Moneo Brock, Alfaro-Manrique Atelier, dAAr Arquitectura, Ansón+Bonet, and Cerámica Mano Alzada, among more than 240 speakers who will take part in the congress.

Forums

Following the success of the three forums held at interihotel BCN25, Madrid will replicate the format, increasing the number to five. These half-day sessions will address key industry topics:

  • Future Living Forum: exploring how ways of living are changing and how this impacts new hybrid models that blur the boundaries between hospitality and residential
  • Wellspaces Forum: focused on neuroarchitecture, design, and innovation
  • AI Interiors Living Forum: new generative AI tools to enhance creativity and strategy in hospitality
  • Circular Spaces Forum: a new congress aimed at questioning the linear design model and exploring new ways of creating spaces
  • Hospitality Building Systems Forum: focused on new construction models applied to the sector

Concept Rooms with leading international studios

HBA will be the first architecture and interior design studio participating in this edition’s Concept Rooms project. HBA (Hirsch Bedner Associates) is an international design firm with offices in cities such as Singapore, London, Los Angeles, Dubai, and Madrid. Founded in 1965 by Howard Hirsch and Michael Bedner, it is one of the most influential firms in hotel interior design worldwide, with decades of experience and numerous awards in hotel and resort design. HBA will collaborate with Barceló, one of the largest hotel chains in Spain and worldwide, with more than 300 four and five-star hotels in over 30 countries, known for its international expansion, multi-brand approach, and commitment to innovation and sustainability.

Livit Design is the other studio taking on the challenge, in this case designing a Concept Restaurant for interihotel. Livit is an international firm specialized in creating and transforming Food & Beverage concepts, headquartered in Madrid with a global presence. Founded in the late 1990s, it has developed thousands of projects in more than 45 countries, standing out for its strategic approach that integrates design, brand, and user experience to maximize profitability and scalability in hospitality businesses. LAMUCCA Group, collaborating with Livit, is a Madrid-based restaurant group founded in 2008, currently operating around a dozen venues in the city and expanding nationally. It stands out for its “high-low” approach, combining quality products, thoughtful design, and accessible pricing.

Outlook for 2026

interihotel MAD26 expects to host 350 exhibiting brands, which would mark the highest figure in its history. In terms of visitors, the organization anticipates attendance of more than 14,000 professionals from over 50 countries, once again surpassing the figures of the previous edition.